Building resilience through adaptive streets: How state DOTs can support local responses to disruptive events. Research brief and recommendations for North Carolina

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted cities worldwide to reconfigure streets for safe walking, cycling, recreation, and outdoor commerce. While many U.S. cities quickly implemented &lsquo;adaptive streets&rsquo; programs using flexible, low-cost materials, North Carolina municipalities&rsquo; efforts were comparatively limited in scope and duration. As we move beyond the pandemic, these municipalities seek guidance from local and global experiences to inform swifter responses to future disruptions. This research identified state-level factors that supported local pandemic-related adaptive streets efforts in two states&mdash;Colorado and Massachusetts&mdash;and assessed the transferability of those factors to North Carolina. As a companion to a comprehensive final report, this brief: <ul> <li>highlights key benefits of adaptive streets programs,</li> <li>overviews COVID-related adaptive streets programs in Massachusetts and Colorado,</li> <li>summarizes the results of our research on adaptive streets programs in North Carolina, and</li> <li>provides recommendations to support timely, effective responses to future disruptive events.</li> </ul>